3) Attainable: The goal should be lofty, but it must also be attainable. The goal should cause you to stretch your comfort zone a bit, and you will develop the attitudes, skills, and abilities necessary to achieve them. As you acquire these beneficial traits, you will feel better about yourself and even more motivated to achieve greater accomplishments.

4) Relevant to your overall objectives: Make sure that your goal fits in with your values and beliefs and overall vision. Many times people set goals that strongly conflict with another area of their life, which almost guarantees that the goal will not be achieved.

5) Time-bound: Something almost magical happens when you set a timed deadline to your goal. You work harder. More opportunities happen. Things slide into place just a bit easier. There is actually some scientific psychology behind this unusual phenomenon, but the biggest consideration is simply that it works!

Here is an example of a SMART goal:

"I will lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week from July 1st to December 31st by eating properly and exercising a minimum of 4 times per week for at least 45 minutes at each session, so that I can fit into my old clothes and feel stronger doing my everyday activities."

Now that you have written a SMART goal, here are just a few more steps that almost guarantee you will achieve it.

1) Write down all the hurdles that may prevent you from achieving your goal. Very, very few goal setters complete this phase of the process, but it allows you to psychologically prepare for the occasional circumstance or event that inevitably happens. Not only does it help you to mentally prepare, but it also allows you to progress to the next step.

2) Write down all known remedies for getting past the obstacles. There is no right or wrong answer here; however, thinking of solutions will place you miles ahead of those that are unprepared for the road blocks.

3) Write down the specific tasks that will be necessary to achieve the goal. It may take some research to complete this step, but the time spent will be rewarded with efficiency that turbo-charges the completion of your goal.

4) Come up with a reward for reaching it! Too many people never learn to enjoy the journey, so plan ahead and determine exactly what your reward will be for accomplishing the results you desire.

5) Read your goals EVERY day. Keep them constantly fresh in your mind. It will help you recognize opportunities that present themselves along the way.

6) Rewrite your main goal EVERY day. Writing your goals literally creates the mental picture of your goals and vision in your mind. This is an extremely powerful part of the process!

7) Do something towards your goal EVERY day. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will propel you towards success more than focused action.

8) Enjoy your journey... and your success!

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